2nd armed student caught at Maplewood school in as many days; meeting scheduled

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (WABC) -- For the second time in as many days, a student at a Maplewood, New Jersey, school is in police custody after bringing weapons to school. The pair of incidents has parents on edge, and district officials have heeded a call from parents to address the issue in a meeting.

Just before 3 p.m. Thursday, Maplewood police officers responded to Columbia High School for a report of a student armed with a handgun. The school was placed in a shelter in place status until a determination was made that it was safe to resume normal operation.

An air soft gun and a kitchen-style knife were subsequently recovered from a 15-year-old ninth grader, who was taken into custody as a result of the incident. At this time, there is no indication there is a threat to students attending the school or school staff.

Charges are pending investigation, and no further details are available at this time.

As a precautionary measure, additional patrols will be assigned to the area of the school.

On Wednesday, a student was taken into custody after he was caught with a gun Maplewood Middle School, prompting parents to call for the school to hold an assembly to release more information.

The school was placed in a code red status around noon, and Maplewood police and other law enforcement responded and searched the school.

Police said no threat was made, and the school returned to normal after the seventh-grade boy was taken into custody for possession of a handgun. It is expected that he will not be allowed back to the school.

Parents were notified by email and robo calls, and many are stunned at the incident, which sent shock waves through the school.

"My son wasn't scared," one parent said. "He was in the classroom with his teachers, and they were all really good about how the school district had handled it."

Counselors were inside the school Thursday.

"A kid could bring it to school just to show he was cool, but what if the gun is loaded?" another parent said. "What if the gun goes off? It's not that he wants to shoot anybody, but it's middle school. They're showing off."

The district released a statement that read, "We are grateful all are safe at Maplewood Middle School, and that the school's response to the events was exemplary and wholly according to plan."

A petition signed by nearly 200 parents calle for an immediate assembly to tell students and parents more about the incident, and school officials announced Friday that a town hall on school safety will be held Monday, June 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Maplewood Middle School auditorium, located at 7 Burnet Street in Maplewood. Topics will include ensuring a safe and positive climate, ways to protect children from guns and other threats of violence and ways to support students in times of crisis.

The cases remains under investigation.